Hello, Nurse
by JuHuaTai
Summary: She's a nurse, he's a commander. It should've been so easy, but in the end, it's really not. (a.k.a a genderbend fic you probably didn't ask for but tough because here it is)
1. Chapter 1

Hello, i am bored and has writer's block. Also, i just saw some fanarts of nurse Ace and my interest and creative sensibilities (pfft) are ignited.

* * *

"If you look down at my chest one more time, i will jam this thermometer up where the sun don't shine and trust me, i can make it _hurt,_ "

Jadd clicked his jaw shut and snapped his head up so fast both of them made multiple cracking noises. Nurse Ann might be half his size but that glare is deadly, her pooling stormy orbs promising pain with the device she held high in one hand, and only a fool with no sense of survival would dare underestimate her.

Also, he heard about what happened to Pequod. _Everyone_ heard about what happened to poor Pequod and his less than stellar reflexes.

Seconds passed, and she finally scoffed, turning her attention to the thermometer in her hand while his eyes wandered back to the spot he had been watching earlier. It was a glorious sight, don't get him wrong; there's a hidden list somewhere in barrack #805 that predicted them to be at least C cup bordering on a D, which means they're only the second largest pair on board, right behind the utterly bodacious Nurse Cotton that tended to Pops directly.

Some men has all the luck.

Anyway.

That's not exactly what he was focusing on right now.

But before he can mention it, Nurse Ann spoke and with a jolt of fear he looked away again, immediately making him dizzy, "Yeah, your fever's pretty high. It's probably the same virus from the last island we're in," she pushed some of her hair back behind her ear before writing down her clipboard, probably making notes of her diagnosis and whatnot, "I'll prescribe you with some medicines and make a report to your division commander to have you off duty. What division are you from?"

"6th," he answered hoarsely, glancing down again while she was distracted. He should probably say something right about now, if just to prevent misunderstanding.

"Alright, i'll tell Commander Blamenco," before he can say anything she swivelled away towards the medicine cabinet, short dark hair bobbing along with the motion.

"U-um, Nurse Ann—"

She turned back to him, eyebrows raised, but before he can say anything he was once again interrupted when the infirmary door was opened with a loud creak, distracting the raven haired nurse away.

"I need some aspirin," As someone with the highly convenient power of healing, Commander Marco the Phoenix should have no business being down in the infirmary, and yet there he was, striding in with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a clipboard, probably filled with commander related duties, "or something else to lessen a headache, preferably something that can knock someone out for the entire day. If i have to hear Thatch whine about his cold one more time, i will actually throw him to the icy waters,"

Nurse Ann snickered, tilting her head up to the tallest row on the cabinet, "Good timing, i was about to give Jadd over there something similar," she reached up, fingers barely grazing the top row on the first try, so she stood up on her tiptoes. Though she could reach better, she was still unable to get her hands on whichever pill bottle she was aiming for, "Who the hell refilled this shit, i swear, they always had to put the important stuff on the top cabinet,"

Without any hesitation, Commander Marco walked over behind her, leaning close and effortlessly reached for one of the bottles. Blinking hard, Jadd could see one of his hands placed on the side of her shapely hips as support, "This one?"

"Nope, the brown one— To your left," the blonde's hand moved to said direction, "No, your other left,"

Marco stilled for a moment before sniggering, "…You mean my right?"

Nurse Ann clicked her tongue in annoyance, what little silhouette of her that was not covered by the blonde commander wiggling slightly, "Ugh, will you just get it?"

"Don't get mad at me, you're the one who forgot the word 'right' existed there for a second," the commander snickered before yelping, and a quick cursory look downward told him that Nurse Ann's thankfully flat heels dug into his front toe, "Alright, alright, here's your medicine,"

Under her breath, Nurse Ann murmured something that Jadd couldn't quite catch but Commander Marco certainly could, because he snorted in amusement after handing the short haired nurse the medicine bottle. She grabbed it and twisted the cap open, peering inside briefly before tilting the bottle on her hand to shake out a couple of pills, "We need to stock up on non-prescription medicines, by the way. I'll make the report later to give to you. Paracetamols, Cod— What are you looking at?"

With the bravery of a man who does not fear death and pain - which, considering his ability, he probably doesn't - Commander Marco kept his eyes trained on a particular spot lower than where the Nurse Ann's face was. On the cot, where he had been sitting and witnessing this entire proceeding, Jadd braced himself as the commander, eyes still trained down the nurse's cleavage casually and with a blank expression, remarked, "You got food stuck in your bra,"

The 6th division crew member tried not to let his jaw drop when instead of blowing up on him and made threats the way she did him, Nurse Ann simply glanced down to her own shirt, even tugging and unbuttoning the first button to get a clearer view. All while Commander Marco was still staring down the same spot, "Oh," she voiced, raising her other hand behind her uniform and picking up a dried piece of meat, the very same thing that got his attention earlier and she had mistaken to be his trying to look down her shirt.

"Must be from breakfast," she hummed, and with a shrug, she tossed the meat into her mouth.

"Classy,"

"I'm in a pirate ship. I've seen you men do worse things than eating 'tits-bits'," there's a pause, and the nurse pointed down to her breast with a raised brow, "Get it? Bits that falls on the tits while eating? 'Tits bits'? It sounds like tidbits,"

"Yes, i get it the first time. Clever," Commander Marco snorted, "Some would argue that's not very ladylike, though,"

"Good thing i don't care about being a lady then," Nurse Ann swallowed, before narrowing her eyes, "Do you?"

The commander shrugged, "I think you're fine just the way you are, Nurse. 'Tits bits' and all,"

"Smooth, Commander," her tone sounds mocking, but the smile on her face shows that she's actually pleased.

As they continue to talk, Jadd could only watch forlornly, feeling forgotten and certainly envious at the fact that it seemed that Nurse Ann had forgotten to button up her uniform again throughout their conversation.

He sighed, and laid down on the bed, "Some guys really have all the luck,"

* * *

If Sabo can see her now, he'd definitely laugh, because the last thing he'd expected someone like Ann, who hurts herself more often than anyone in the world, is now a nurse who helped heal people.

Ann didn't think this is what she'll be doing either years ago. She had wanted to see the world, to roam the seas and claim her freedom. Back then, when it was only the two of them and before Luffy came into their lives, Sabo had wanted to be a pirate in order to claim that freedom, and he and Ann would often debate who between the two of them would be the captain.

But then of course, Sabo died trying to make his dream come true. Luffy, stubborn boy that he is, wanted to sail when he's old enough, to bring Sabo's dream with him. This is something he told Ann during the weeks that they mourned their lost brother, the only family they had. Luffy would not stop claiming that he was going to be a pirate, no, even the King of Pirates. If Ann wanted, he'd tell her, she can come along, just wait for him to grow up and they can set sail together.

But between the loss of Sabo and the truth of her parentage, Ann decided then and there is she is done with anything that has to do with pirates. Nothing good was ever associated with it, not when it condemns her in the eyes of the world, and took away the one of the most important people in her life. She can never stop Luffy even if she wanted to - and she doesn't, it's his dream - but she herself wanted nothing to do with it.

But of course, like the truth of the blood coursing through her veins, she can never truly escape it.

"Out here by yourself?"

She had heard the footsteps approaching so she was hardly surprised that someone had found her, but it was upon hearing the voice of the newcomer that she felt at ease. Her hair blows against her cheeks, even pushed back against her ear, when she turned to face the intruder, "Not anymore," she said with a wry smile, but moved slightly to the side to show that his arrival was not completely unwelcome, "Got enough of the party?"

Marco let out a hefty sigh as he took the spot she vacated, leaning his back against the railing, while Ann leaned on it with her front. From the corner of her eyes, she can see a new unopened bottle in his hand, although she was pretty sure he had several before, "Got too rowdy for my taste. It's always like that when over half of them got drunk,"

As if on cue, there's loud cheering and yelling coming from the main deck area, followed by something heavy crashing down. Pops' booming and distinguishing laughter instantly drowned the rest of the voices, which is good. The more rambunctious the old captain is, the healthier he is. It will become even more raucous as the night slips by, she knew, and two people slipping out of that would not be missed.

"Today marks 1 year," she heard spoken to her side, taking her attention away from the noises. Marco was looking down at her, smiling slightly, "Since you first boarded this ship,"

Ann blinked, not expecting that, and during her distraction, the commander raised the bottle in his hand and used his incisors to bit and pop the foam lid. He spat it out to the floor - he had an aversion to throwing things to the ocean, she remembered, something about littering - before handing the greenish tinted bottle to her, "Happy 1 year with us?"

Gingerly, the raven haired woman took the offered bottle, and just from the brief whiff she managed to get, Ann can already tell that this was not the same drink served nonstop at the party. It was a lot more decadent and sweet, and it was the kind only acquired in a particular island in Paradise. She would know, because it was one of her favorite, and it was a brand that brought back fond memories of home, of Foosha, "Where'd you get this?"

Marco smiled even more, his eyes forming half moon shape, and he looked almost fond at her confusion and bewilderment, "From where it all began,"

It was a vague answer at best, and yet, she knew.

The bottle was chugged down to three quarters of it, bubbly liquid caressing her tongue and the coolness of the alcohol contrasting with the warmth that settled in her stomach. With a hiss, Ann put the bottle down on the rails, eyes closed and oblivious to the pair of eyes staring at her. She missed that, the taste, the reminder, she missed all of it.

"Can i ask you something?" the question made Ann open her eyes, stormy grey finding elusive light blue even through the haze of alcohol settling in her system, "Why did you rejected the offer to join back then? I know it's mostly because of being kidnapped, but i always felt like there's something more with your refusal,"

At the question, her eyes became glazed, and she turned away to the far away distance, much further from this ship and her companion.

Before she became a nurse in a _Yonko_ ship, she had been a waitress in a small tavern in Foosha, helping out Makino in running the bar during the times she wasn't doing hard labour with Dadan and even training with Luffy. It was a mundane life, but it had been safe, and it was far from the sea. Far from the reminder of the cruel blue seas that took away Sabo and the life that robbed her of a normal life. Just like sailors and traders, pirates comes and goes, but most had been a benevolent crew looking for respite in their quiet little town.

Most of them were, until exactly one year ago, when a band of pirates decided to cause trouble, after Ann had rejected one of the men's advances. The small group that was in the tavern itself was nothing for her to take care of, but they return with vengeance the next day, causing destruction on their wake.

At least, they would've, if another, much bigger pirate crew hadn't arrived that same moment and destroyed them, ship and all. The announcement that Whitebeard Pirates has arrived struck more fear to the troublemaking pirates than the townspeople, especially when men bearing the mark of the famous _Yonko_ showed their intent to protect the defenseless citizen than causing even more destruction around. A noble deed from a supposedly despicable group of men that they hadn't seen ever since Red Haired Shanks arrived years ago and saved Vice Admiral Garp's grandson's life.

Yet, while everyone had celebrated, Ann was distraught by the sight of the man who stepped in front of her to take a bullet that was originally meant for her. She had insisted to take care of him, despite the crew's reassurance that a gunshot wound was no big deal and that they have their own medical team, and even fought her way on to the ship to make sure that she can thank the man directly and take responsibility over the gunshot wound.

Thatch, the man who saved her turned out to be one of the commanders, and was the one who first gave her the offer, during the last days of his recovery, "You're really good at this. What do you say about joining our crew? We're always in need of doctors and nurses,"

She declined, of course, though never giving the reason why. And perhaps that was her mistake, because they ended up kidnapping her; the second her narcolepsy hits and she cannot struggle, they set sail.

It took her over 100 days of trying to defeat their captain so that she can go back home, all the while insulting them that they're no better than the men who attacked Foosha. Thatch, who quickly lost her favours after the entire matter, told her that they are, after all, pirates. They took what they wanted without permission, and what they wanted was for Ann to be one of them. To be a part of their family.

And that had been such a foreign concept for her. She never had a family aside from Luffy, nobody ever wanted her to be a part of their life. She was the unwanted child the world think shouldn't exist, and for so long, she decided that she'd do the world a favour and stay away from them, isolating herself in some sleepy little island in Paradise. She wanted that isolation back, but suddenly comes this pirates, the very people she hated because of whose blood runs inside of her, and they told her they wanted her to be a part of them.

Then as if that wasn't enough, comes in this man before her now, tending to her wounds instead of the other way around, telling her the wonders of a life as a stray who found their purpose again under one man. To become free, to be a part of something. He gave her those words alone with a bowl of soup and a pat to the head, and after all of that, told her that in the end, it was her decision. They'll change route if they have to, he offered, return her back to that life back in Foosha. Where nothing ever happened in her life but awaiting Luffy's journey to become the Pirate King and disappear.

Ann will never tell anyone, but the thought of it had been her breaking point.

(And along the way, she found one other person to know who she really is, and still accept her with a warm smile and fatherly hug. That alone she owes Whitebeard, and what cemented her loyalty to him)

"Because i hate pirates," she decided to say in the end, taking a much more careful sip from the bottle in her hand, "They're associated with too many bad things in my life,"

That will raise more questions, she knew, but Marco didn't ask further. She didn't know if she should be glad or not, because right now, with only him as the listener, she'd probably answer just about everything. Especially when it's him, "And yet, in the end, you stayed amongst them. Taking care of them, even,"

She can say that 'you didn't give me much choice', but then, that'll be a lie.

Not that she needed to, it was something that never quite left her mind, and so does the final answer for this particular dilemma. No, she considered the man next to her, judging whether or not he should know her reasons, why she had stayed despite her deep seated revulsion to anything that has to do with her parentage. She turned back, and when she still found Marco's patient gaze focused on her, the words tumbled out, "You gave me freedom. At the very least, i owe you that,"

The bottle was now down to half of it, and her head was buzzing due to the influence. Behind them, the party was still running wild, filled with laughters, crashing and shouts, all that became nothing but white noise in the comfortable silence that descended between them.

A silence that was broken, when she heard moving next to her and found that Marco had moved closer, so close that their arms are touching, "Freedom suits you," he said in a voice barely above a whisper, so close, even intimate, "If that's the only thing we can give you in return, then i'm glad,"

When she looked up, their faces were close, their noses almost bumping and she could smell the alcohol in his breath, and she's sure he could smell hers. Somehow, Ann felt even more drunk by it, her lips loose and her mind foggy, though she knew she said nothing but the truth, " _You_ gave me something else,"

She wondered if Marco knew what she meant by 'you', if he knew she wasn't talking about the ship as a whole. Because she doesn't.

His eyes flickered, his pupils dilating that she can see her own reflection on them. Perhaps he did understand, "And that is?"

The word left her with a whisper, a word that run close to what she wanted to say in truth, but she know she can't, "Trust,"

(It wasn't long until she began to sway on her feet and her consciousness slowly faded away, when she was captured in warm embrace that she knew with absolute conviction won't let her fall down and will carry her someplace safe.

Ann fell asleep with a smile on her lips, knowing that she had been proven right)

* * *

For a long time, there's a rumour on board that Ann and Marco are dating, or at the very least, were regularly fucking. It was due to how close they were most of the time, based on people's observation of their interaction, and really, Ann couldn't blame them. She wouldn't call their relationship purely platonic either.

Marco doesn't remember for each one of the crew that it has been a year since someone joined their ship and took painstaking effort to buy their favorite liquor full of meaning and nostalgia attached to it. He's not even a touchy man, unlike Thatch or Izou, and there are times he would reach out for Ann, just a small gesture and stay there in a barely there graze that he can easily took it back if she ever objected. There's dozens of other nurses on board, but he always look for her for anything medically related, and because he himself cannot be afflicted by sickness or wound, it was always under the guise for someone else.

Likewise, Ann was wary of contact, and yet she let those calloused hands rest on her, and sometimes, after a long day filled with fight or worries about Pops's health, she'd let him sleep on her shoulder, or rest his head on her lap. The men on board knows to keep their hands and eyes to themselves - most of the time, but they'd learn with her - but she had little reservation to pass out around Marco like that night, knowing that she'd wake up on her bed fully clothed. She trusted him with so many things, and vice versa.

Still, a rumour is a rumour, but when someone spread the story about them kissing, well, that's another matter entirely.

Thatch had been the one who had done it, she knew, because the man himself confessed after a very close encounter between his balls and her heels, "I thought i saw you two kissing!" he had explained while pleading for the safety of his manhood, "On the corner by yourselves, standing so close in the shadows, what am i supposed to think?!"

"You're not supposed to think anything," the giant bird on top of the sobbing chef's head crooned, pitch higher than his human form but no less menacing, "And you definitely shouldn't be spreading things you didn't even know was true or not,"

So after a pitiful and tearful correction given out during dinner, the story was proven untrue. It did nothing to kill the rumour, of course - if anything, it probably stoked it further with something stupid like 'secret relationship' - and Ann deeply wish that they can all mind their own businesses.

Because even though they didn't mean it, the rumour was a hurtful reminder that a relationship is not something they can have.

Marco is a commander, the ship's first mate, and even though no one dared to voice it, he will be the one people will turn to when Whitebeard finally passed away. That was a phantom burden that always weighs him down, the responsibility on top of the inevitable loss of his captain, and she knew he didn't want to involve her in that. He'd ask to lean on her sometimes, when that burden becomes too heavy, but the way he never shared the reason for his heavy sighs and gaunt expression was telling enough.

As for her, it was because despite her personal feelings, in the end, Marco is a pirate, first and foremost.

The last person she knew was in a relationship with a pirate was her mother, and everyone knew how that went. Though she knows Marco is a good man, Ann refused to end up like her mother, refused to give another child a life like hers.

That doesn't mean there aren't times she doesn't gaze at him with the thought of 'what if', and felt through the small touches on her waist or arm that he's thinking the same thing.

* * *

This is just basically me sharing what i think would've led fem!Ace to be a nurse on board Moby instead of a commander, and though it is against his characteristic, what would happen if he decided to not be a pirate all at once. A story i read recently ended up having him as a marine due to the same decision, but i still want him (well, her in this fic) to end up on Moby so here it is.

And yes, i know, it doesn't have any resolution, but tbh, it's just supposed to be a really short ficlet our of boredom and what little free time i have and i don't know how to properly end it. Look, when i get the appropriate muse (and if people liked this headcanon, because tbh, the more i read it the more i kinda wanna explore it a bit more) maybe i'll continue? What do you think?

Sorry for the rambling, and sorry too if you think this is a waste of time. I got a comment before that my oneshot that at least ended up with a kiss was a waste of time, and i'm a bit worried what you'll think when the fic is now much shorter and basically ended like this, so yeah, i'm trying to avoid anyone feeling like that again haha.

Anyway! Thank you for reading and hope you liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

Well, i already started it, better give it a good conclusion…

The original story ended on first chapter, but in case you wanted them to end up together, here it is! A whole… 2 more chapters because i can't stop myself, because i have writer's block and … to celebrate! I got full points on my exam! Aaah, i'm genuinely crying, i was so nervous ;;;

Anyway, enjoy?

* * *

If anyone were to see her now, sneaking out of Marco's quarters in the middle of the night, she had no doubt that the now quelled rumour would go aflame once more.

Still, it is in the middle of the night, and the days of her attempted assassination over Whitebeard had taught her routes that even those who had been on this ship for longer than her didn't know. In matter of minutes, she left one side of the ship and arrived to the other, sneakily passing behind a yawning night guard to reach the isolated halls where the nurses' dorms were located. It's past midnight, if she's not wrong, so no one should still be awake and would be alarmed by her return.

At least, that's what Ann thought, when the lantern on the table near the door lit up as soon as she closed the door, startling her.

"Ann," Cotton greeted her sweetly, her cleavage straining against the top buttons of her night dress and her unpainted lips smiling genially, "It's past your curfew, sweetie,"

"I didn't know i had one," Ann blurted before her mind can catch up, making the older nurse smile even wider and her mortification after being caught increasing, "I was just… walking around. Can't sleep. There's nothing wrong with that, right?" Instead of replying to her, Cotton stood up, gently pushing the chair behind her as she did, before slowly making her way over to the rigid dark haired woman. Ann tried to dodge, but no excuse comes to her and her feet would not move.

"Cotton—"

A hand was shoved down her shirt and bra, making the freckled nurse squeaked in surprise until the same well-manicured hand came back up holding a small, clinking bottle between slender fingers, "Oh, so this is where the missing sleeping pill went," Cotton's voice was dripping with fake surprise, one that made Ann's face flush even further upon being caught, "Why, won't taking these be more effective than simply carrying them around? As a matter of fact, wouldn't someone suffering from narcolepsy have no use for this sort of medication?"

"Alright, fine," the younger blurted deviantly, taking a step away and towards her own bed, the one on the left side of the room, "I'm sorry i took out without your permission, but you know i wasn't going to misuse it,"

The bottle let out another clinking noise as it was placed to the table where the shapely older nurse sat before. Ann averted her gaze in favour to look for her sleeping attire, and once she found them, pretended to keep so she won't have to look at her roommate and superior, "Oh, honey, i know you won't. You're practically my right hand woman," The other woman said, "That said, i would prefer it if someone i, as well as Pops, trust won't simply pilfer medication for… personal uses,"

Cotton's tone made Ann go rigid. She had no doubt that the older knew what she had done with those sleeping pills, and she knew that her fellow nurse knew this wasn't the first time she had done it.

"He's looking worse for wear these days," Ann replied quietly, dragging her shirt out from the bottom drawer to her lap with no intention to change, "He's running himself ragged again, and i know he hasn't slept for at least 2 days. Not ever since that last expedition went wrong with the 9th division. I just… wanted to help,"

Resulting from bad intel to general unpreparedness, the expedition cost them 3 good men and nearly someone's eye. Though it wasn't entirely unfruitful, the loss was still heavily felt even in a ship as big as this.

It was something out of their control, but Ann knew Marco blamed himself for the death of those three men. He oversees their burial and compensation to their families, and when she entered his quarters earlier, she saw him writing handwritten letters addressed to one of the dead man's pregnant wife and attaching it to a bag heavier than the other two. Nothing she said or do could make it better, the way it hadn't for the last 2 days, but at the very least, he accepted the coffee she offered him with a thankful, if tired smile.

The way he stopped after the first sip told her the commander knew something was laced into his beverage, but he still drank it all to the very last drop. Marco then properly puts away everything on his desk with lethargic movement, before making his way to the bed, where Ann sat and wait. He laid his head down not on his pillow but on her lap, knowing it would always be open and welcoming to him, eyes heavy and full of sorrow even to the moment they closed down and his breathing turned even.

This was not the first time, nor will it be the last time she will have to do this for his own sake. Tomorrow morning, Marco will be awake, eyes clearer though the same could not be said about his mind, and they will interact normally. As if Ann hadn't drugged him the night before to get a well deserved rest. As if Marco was not opposed to her actions. As if the both of them didn't notice that this is becoming a more and more common occurrence, and deep down, it scared her.

"You know, when i first took you under my wings, i didn't think you'd be this kind of girl,"

Ann snorted, placing her hand on her collar to start unbuttoning her uniform, "A thief?"

"A coward,"

Her hand stilled.

"I always thought you'd be a 'knows what she wanted and knows how to get it' type of gal," Cotton made a small humming noise, light footsteps making their way over to her bedside before the mattress dipped beside her. Ann felt the older nurse instead of seeing her, twirling the tips of the golden blonde hair, "Well, i guess in a way you are, i just didn't think that attitude will stop for a man of all things,"

"It's… not like that…,"

"Then what's it like then? Because sweetheart," lithe fingers with trimmed nails snaked their way under her chin, gently turning her head to the side, to face piercing, wise eyes, one that spoke of experience and knowledge, and show why Pops trusted her to be the head nurse, "Your desire _burns brightly._ You're not a very subtle one, after all. You want him from day 1, and only a fool and the blind will be able to miss that,"

The fingers dropped, before trailing up the tip of her nose and pressing lightly, "But you are not the only one, and i know there is no way you missed it. Never in my years have i seen a man look at a woman with so much passion before, and i didn't think it'd come from him of all people. He's not frigid, probably, but ever since you've arrived, he's been very different. He treats you differently," the nurse clicks her fingers a couple of them, face turning contemplative and thoughtful, "Hmm, what's a good description to explain it?"

Ann didn't answer, staring at her blankly as Cotton snaps her finger one last time, "Oh, that's right,"

She turned, cat-like eyes narrowing and puckered lips curling enigmatically, "Commander Marco looks at you like you are One Piece itself,"

"That's…," 'ridiculous' Ann wanted to say, but she found herself tongue tied. And she found the comparison ironic above all. Whether it was for her hatred to the person who previously owned it, or her relation to that man, she didn't know. But it wasn't the comparison itself that bothered her the most in Cotton's words, "He's a pirate,"

"Honey, you're in a ship full of one,"

"Then you saw just as much as i did what kind of life they're leading. A life full of danger, a life easily taken, where'd they'd just leave everyone they know behind," she shook her head, letting windswept bangs fall over her eyes, "Tyeri's wife is pregnant, i saw it on Marco's desk. Progma and Jugo both had families in West Blue and North Blue. They won't know about this until Marco's letters got to them. The dream to become a pirate killed Sabo," she bit her lower lips, her mind fuzzy with remembrance, "And my mother had to suffer because of my father…,"

She had enough with the pain of loss. Enough with the daily remembrance.

A hand was placed on top of her head, stroking slightly, "It is, but it's the life they choose," Cotton's voice was gentle, almost like a mother she never gets to meet trying to soothe her upset child, "And sometimes, for us on the sidelines, we still choose to stay by them,"

Ann didn't question the use of the word 'us'. It was a secret no one spoke of, one she learned even during her early days on board. The woman next to her was not only one of the oldest and longest lasting nurses, she was one of the first, even when others who joined with her had retired or decided that life on the sea was no longer for them. She had seen more loss than Ann did throughout the year, and as the head nurse, she watched slower and closer than anyone else as one man slowly fade away, one man everyone knew was the reason why she stayed for so long.

(Ann imagined herself in her position sometimes, and if she can stomach living so long watching Marco fade away before her eyes. It's a constant fear, one that cannot be comforted even by his healing flames)

"Why?"

The hand stilled, "Because when you love someone, being with them even for a day is better than not being with them at all. And it's better to live forever holding on to the sweet memories they left behind, than spending the rest of your life with the regret of never having them in the first place,"

* * *

It was during their journey to Loguetown for the purpose of restocking and meeting with an informant that one of the engines broke, and an emergency disembarkation was to be had before it can cause more damage to the ship.

"And i was so looking forward to be so near Foosha again," Ann lamented against the railings, looking through the telescope, finding nothing but shrivelled trees and dry lands. It almost looked like a desert, and she highly doubted anyone or anything could live there, "What is this place anyway? There doesn't even seem to be anything on this island,"

"Make sense, it's quite far away from the nearest major port and the current seems too harsh for any sea life," Next to her, with his unfurled map, Marco hummed and pointed to a small speck, underneath writings too small, "Sixis, apparently it's called, and since it's included in a map, it's probably not entirely unexplored. Can't imagine anyone finding anything there though,"

Humming at his explanation, Ann looked up from the map to the blonde man holding them, noting the still deep but fairly light darkness around his eyes. As expected, Marco didn't say anything about last night, and if he's not going to, then she has no reason to bring it up, as always. At the very least, she can take comfort in the fact that he looked mildly rested, just enough so she won't have to feel guilty over deceiving him like that.

Fixing engines usually doesn't take long, but that doesn't mean the ship's inhabitant won't take this change to stretch their legs even for a moment, including her. When the bridges were let down and several people decided to explore, she joined in along with them.

As expected, however, there was nothing but trees and some dried bushes, "It looked like a dead island," Commander Haruta, whose group she had tagged along with commented told her, after they walked for 10 minutes straight and saw nothing else, "But sometimes, it's in obscure places like this where wayward pirates hides their treasure,"

"So we're treasure hunting then?" Ann suggested, already digging the ground under her feet with the thankfully short and more comfortable heels she had on for today. Nurses aren't exempt from having fun along with the rest of the ship's crew, after all, and she had proven again and again that she is more than capable to catch up with even the best of them. Exploration comes as a second nature to her, from the past days living in the forest with Sabo and Luffy, and she missed it at times.

Haruta grinned, unsheathing his swords and making a cross on the nearest tree bark, a sign to mark their current location, "You know the rules, Nurse Ann. Finders keepers,"

Unlike the thick forest back in Foosha or other more lively rainforest, getting lost in this place would be a feat. The island itself was fairly small, so in matter of hours Ann already found herself back on a familiar route of going back to where the ship was docked. There's barely any animals, not even birds flying over the sky above, and there's no trees bearing any fruits. When her stomach let out a gurgle, Ann grimaced, already feeling winded, "This is so not worth it,"

In defeat, she made her way back to where she could see Moby on the distance, until something caught her eyes.

Lying neglected on the ground, round, shiny and decorated with interesting swirls was a fruit.

Just from the sight of it made her stomach gurgle again, "I must've missed lunch by now," she moaned, glancing at Moby, still far away in the distance, and back to the fruit. Experience taught her not to simply consume everything she found, but right now she is hungry and there's nothing else close by, "Oh well, if it's poisonous or something, i'll just hurry back to the ship,"

With that in her mind, she picked the fruit up, gave it only one cursory glance from top to bottom before taking a bite.

From Moby's deck, hundreds of people began to panic at the sight of a giant pillar of flame bursting out of nowhere in the middle of the supposedly empty island.

* * *

"In my defense," was all she had said and already, she can feel how unamused Marco was, "at least it's not poisonous,"

"No, but it made you almost burn down an entire island,," he gritted out, and Ann wished she can see his face. As it is, the devil fruit had burned all of her clothes off during that uncontrollable explosion, and she was still changing out of Marco's shirt into something from her dresser. She didn't think he'd be that flustered after flying out and finding her naked in the middle of the now devastated forest, and some traces of that embarrassment was still leaking out of his voice, even if he refused to leave until she's finished.

Ann glanced back to the far side of the room, where Marco had settled himself in one corner, looking away from her. The sight reminded her of Luffy whenever Dadan put him on a time out on the corner of the room, only instead of fidgeting because of the smell of food coming from the middle of the room, he's obviously antsy over this entire matter.

A mirthful smile made its way to her face. You wouldn't expect such a gentleman behaviour from a pirate.

Still, Ann decided not to make him wait too long, so she pried out one of her crop tops and shorts, stripping out of Marco's too large shirt and donning them quickly, "Well, sorry. How am i supposed to know that it's a devil fruit? The closest i've been to one was when Luffy told me how he got his powers and he never said how the fruit looked like,"

"For one, you don't eat just about everything you came across," Marco replied snippily, and it's evident now that he's more than just a little pissed off, "Dammit, Ann, you're a nurse. You should know the health risk better then anyone else,"

"I do, but i'm hungry," the dark haired woman answered, deciding that it's a sufficient reply. The commander obviously didn't agree, because he groaned in exasperation.

Once she was done, Ann picked Marco's discarded shirt up from her bed and made her way over to the corner to approach the owner. It wasn't a few steps later that she noticed how tense and rigid his shoulders are, and sighed. Quietly, the nurse spread the shirt in her hand open, tiptoeing slightly to drape them across those tense shoulders and pressing down on the flesh, "Hey, you don't have to worry so much, you know," she murmured quietly, "You know i spent a lot of time in my youth living in these sorts of forest. I know poisonous stuff when i see one, and this isn't exactly Grand Line,"

The shoulders underneath her touch melted, before Marco turned, his eyes even more hooded than usual and his lips downturned in displease. He didn't look as angry as his tone might have suggested, he looked worried, "I thought something terrible happened to you," he confessed, voice barely above a whisper. Their faces were close, with Ann only needing to tilt her face up a little bit more for the tips of their noses to touch, "Haruta came back and said you're still on the island, and suddenly there's a fire that engulfed at least half of the forest, what am i supposed to think?"

Marco shook his head, sighing, "Just, please, be careful next time. I…I won't know what to do if anything happens to you,"

His words, along with the warmth in his tone made her cheeks flush, and she ducked down before he can see her face, "Sorry,"

The angle of her eyes allowed her to see the way Marco's hands twitched briefly, as if he wanted to reach for her before changing his mind in the last second, "Can you show me?" he said finally after a long bout of silence, "I couldn't get a good look earlier, but judging from what i saw earlier, i suspected the fruit to contain logia power. I need to make sure which one it is,"

"Uh, yeah," Ann lifted her right hand in between them, turning them front to back, "I don't really know how that happ—Oh!"

All of the sudden, a trail of blaze engulfed her entire hand trailed down to her wrist. The young nurse momentarily panicked before she realized she did not feel pain, only a hint of heat coming from the burning appendage, "Oh this is weird," Ann commented slack-jawed, turning her hands around slower in awe, when she realized something else; her hand was not on fire, what was on the end of her arm was fire shaped as that particular body part.

" _Mera-Mera no Mi,_ " she heard Marco hummed, and from behind her crimson flame, she saw azure fire igniting. The two colours mingled gently around one another, crossing into a beautiful gradient that she cannot take her eyes off of, "Congratulations. Logia fruit is the rarest type of Devil Fruit amongst three type, probably the most sought after power out there and you got it because you're hungry. Only you, Ann,"

"Thanks?" The newly minted logia user murmured, unsure, especially when her fire grew even bigger, the opposite of what she wanted, "Uh, how do i turn this thing off? Can i turn it off? I can, right? I mean, i ended it earlier somehow. How— Wait, Marco, what are you—" In panic, Ann watched as the much larger hand behind her moved closer, and beyond the heat of the fire, she can feel human warmth accompanied by the cool breeze she had always associated with Marco's healing flames, "You'll get burned!" she warned, and was evidently ignored when Marco closed his hands around hers.

With a faint sizzle, the fire on Ann's hand faded into nothingness, along with Marco's own flames, "I can't be hurt, remember?" he said with a chuckle, making Ann pout indignantly.

It won't be until seconds had passed when they both realized almost simultaneously that they had been standing for minutes on end doing nothing but holding hands while staring at each other. Marco dropped her hand as if she was burned - though considering what happened earlier, that saying is probably less than accurate now - before clearing his throat nervously, "I should check on how the engine maintenance is coming along," the blonde said in a rush, averting his eyes away from hers, "You, ah, you can talk to Jozu about how to control your flames. He's a Devil Fruit user, he'll know how to help. I'll talk to you later,"

The nurse didn't even get the chance to say a word before her shared room was empty once more, the commander's footsteps quickly fading outside of the door.

In her lonesome, Ann raised her hand to eye level, before pressing the side of her knuckles against her lips, puckering them to simulate a kiss, "You're a Devil Fruit user too, moron,"

* * *

Tell me what you think and hope you liked it!


	3. Chapter 3

Depending on plot bunny, might have to add one more chapter. Sorry.

Hope you'd enjoy!

* * *

"Why do i always have to be the one to do this?"

The aquamarine haired nurse in front of her, Mint, giggled, her plump cheeks turning rosy at the gesture, "Well, Ann, the men are busy with their own things, and even if they can help, none of them are as strong as you are,"

Ann pursed her lips, adjusting her hold on the 5 stacked crates in her hand, each of them nearly as big as her entire body. Mint has a point, of course, but she's supposed to be on her break right now instead of helping the other nurses with redecorating the infirmary. Her mind flies to the unfinished letter in her room for Luffy, Makino and Dadan, making her sigh.

In his last letter, Luffy said he wanted to start his journey soon, excitedly telling her that he finally worked enough in the bar and around town to buy his own dinghy, and asked extensively as he always did about her life on board of Moby Dick. That was a far cry from his attitude back when she first told him she will not be returning to Foosha and preferring to stay with the Whitebeard Pirates, whining for months about how if she is to join any pirate crew it should've been his, and asking incessantly if she's sure she wasn't being kidnapped and he didn't need to come and rescue her from the big bad Whitebeard.

Sweet kid. Kind of stupid and daring, but her sweet little brother nonetheless.

At the thought of Luffy, she grinned to herself, already giddy at the prospect of telling him about her progress with her Devil Fruit ability - he had been so excited to hear she gained one of her own, repeatedly calling them 'twinsies!' - that she missed the infirmary door creaking open and her name being called, "Yeah?"

Cotton stood at the doorway, a familiar tray on one hand and a cheery smile on her lips, "Oh good, you're here after all," she strode in with the grace Ann didn't think she could ever emulate wearing those thin and sharp heels, "You can put those down somewhere now, darling. Pops wants you to bring his medicine today,"

While Ann easily obliged - even if those crates are relatively light for her, she's been standing around for a while and her feet are starting to ache - she stared at the older nurse questioningly, "Me?"

"Yes, you," the tray was passed over to her hand once they're empty, "Hurry up now, you don't want to keep Pops waiting,"

* * *

It wasn't until 2 months after she gained her power that Ann received a fitting moniker; 'Fire Fist Ann'.

For all everyone kept mocking the marines for coming up with 'lame names' for them, as it turns out, Whitebeard Pirates didn't posses a higher level of creativity it seems. The name itself only came from the fact that she had channeled her fire into her fist and managed to punch Commander Curiel from one side of the infirmary to another, burning a hole along with walls and curtains after he refused to stop bickering with Commander Rakuyo while Ann was trying to tend to his rather serious wounds.

What started as an accident - that she ended up apologizing profusely to a half conscious Curiel for - ended up being her 'trademark', so to speak. Difficult patients stay still whenever she brought out her fire, and the commander's charred outline was kept on the walls of the infirmary to remind others what their fate will be if they disobeyed the nurses orders. Of course it never quite entered anyone's mind that she won't exactly harm an injured or sick person, or that the original incident had been an accident.

(Well, no one but Marco, but he approved of this, even the one who gave the idea to keep the burn stain on the wall.

Ann could've swoon over his ingenuity, but there were others around, so she held herself back)

Aside from making her a force to be reckon with in the infirmary, her control over her fire had increased, and she started using it for plenty of things; cauterizing wounds, sterilizing medical equipments, controlling the infirmary's temperature, even menial things, such as lighting up candles, heating up her food or, during that one party the week before, show off to the rest of the crew by creating little floating licks of flame that could barely harm anyone but does make for an interesting sight.

(Marco had been the inspiration for it, though the man probably wasn't aware of it. They had just came back from an island in South Blue, chasing away an infiltrating pirate crew from their protected area when she found him on the hills overlooking the quiet little village. He told her to sit by his side, and they spent moments in silence and companionship when all of the sudden, fireflies began to lit up the entire fields of grass like little lanterns, dancing along in the wind with the whistles from the blades of grasses as their music.

It's a unique phenomenon native to this island, the commander explained with a smile, his fond eyes meeting hers when he cupped a group of twinkling fireflies between his palms and gently deposited them to her hands. He spoke of stories of how this came to be, how he first discovered this years ago when Pops declared his protection on the island, but all Ann could focus on right then was the sight of Marco in the midst of dancing lights, and thought him beautiful)

She still had much to learn when it comes to controlling Devil Fruit, of course, but Jozu, who was appointed as her mentor, did note that she had a quick grip of things. Sometimes, they would spar, reminding Ann just how much she missed fighting in general, and he'll teach her how to weaponize her power and implement it into her battle style. She hasn't been involved in any serious fight in a long time, and her position as a nurse on the ship lowers the chance of her ever doing it even more, but like everyone else, she needs to know how to defend herself in case of emergencies.

There was also the matter in that her fire, while they follow her commands, they follow her emotion even more. The times when she was angry, she would unexpectedly set herself ablaze, and it was something else Jozu was trying to help her with. 'Calm yourself down' had been his first advice, and probably the hardest one to follow because so far, it hasn't been working. Thatch remarked that it was rather fitting how someone with her temper would ended up being a fire logia, and that, she cannot disagree with.

(This happened after a particularly nasty incident involving a new recruit and 'accidental' groping where she nearly flambeed the sod, when Marco had pulled her aside. Ann expected him to scold her, to remind her not to bring harm to _nakama,_ when instead, he held her flaming hands and talked her out of her rage until her fire simmered to nothing. He waved her apology off and told her she's showing improvement, before giving her a pat to the head and told her to keep it up.

Last she heard, the same recruit was punished with 2 weeks worth of toilet cleaning duty, right after he healed from the second degree burns she gave him. Sometimes, she would see the guy jump and skulk away when she's nearby, but his reaction to her was _nothing_ compared to how scared shitless he was whenever Marco was around)

"Ann?"

The raven haired woman paused in the middle of her recounting to look up, way, way up, and found Whitebeard's amused eyes looking down at her, 'Yes, Pops?"

The old captains grinned, his lips curled almost similar to the shape of his moustache, "Are you even aware you're doing that, dear daughter?"

"Do what?"

If possible, Whitebeard grinned even wider, "You know, i called you here because i wanted to know about your progress with your Devil Fruit and if you're having troubles with it," he hummed, and before she can say that that is exactly what she's been doing for the past few minutes, the older man continued, his tone highly amused, "And while i'm glad to hear things are going great, i see things have gone even better with Marco, yes?"

She blinked, once, twice, before Whitebeard's words finally sunk in and her face felt like she had set herself aflame without any of the resistance to her own element, "T-that's not…! Pops, i… I don't…,"

Whitebeard's highly distinguishable laughter ran through the entire room, making her face even redder and hotter. As he settled down, so does her embarrassment, and she abandoned the tray of medicines she was cleaning up to lean against the table, head bowed slightly, "Sometimes, i wish it's that simple," she murmured lowly, knowing that her captain could hear and more importantly, hoping that he understood.

"But he's…i can't, Pops. Not after what my mother went through because of my father," Her fingers clutched the edge of the table even harder, as she bit down her lips, "To be left behind, forgotten yet still made to suffer. I don't want to go through all of that, for a pirate of all people,"

She knew he understood that despite her presence in this ship and her wish to stay, she would always despise pirates. It was something she had confessed the year before, in the same breath she admitted that she's the child of Gol D. Roger. Whitebeard never tries to change her mind, he never reveal it to anyone or treat her differently and that was enough for her. Still, she never mentioned it again after that day, but she didn't expect him to chuckle so fondly at her words, as if he found it amusing, "Oh my dear," he said in between laughter, "How much you're a spitting image of her, after all. It hurts this old heart to even think about it,"

Tentatively, she asked, "What do you mean?"

Whitebeard smiled down at her, patient and fatherly, "Your mother, dear child, i meant your mother,"

Garp had kept a single photograph of Portgas D. Rouge with him, something he bequeathed to Ann when he first revealed the truth of her parentage. Him, along with Dadan during one of her more tender and motherly moments, told her that she's resembled the woman in that old, faded picture, beautiful beyond words.

Ann never truly believed it, because her mother looked like an angel on earth. She herself can't possibly look that beautiful, when another part of her was one of the man accused to be the devil himself.

The massive bed made a creak as Whitebeard shifted to a more comfortable position, and with one large hand, he patted the empty spot next to him, "Why don't you take a seat, dear girl, and let me tell you some story about her,"

It was only with slight hesitation that Ann approached him, sitting on the edge of the bed close enough to be near her captain. All of her life, she had only heard about Roger, about his misdeeds and his ruthlessness, about the King of Pirates and what a stain for humanity he was. Not once had she ever been told of Rouge, of the woman who gave her life for her own, who allowed Ann to live this long, whose name she took because of this life debt. She had always wanted to know more beyond that old picture back in her old bedroom in Foosha.

As she took the empty spot beside him, Whitebeard smacked his lips together and moved his gaze upwards, "Now, what can i tell you of the woman who stole the heart of the Pirate King?" he grinned, staring back at her, "She's a very, very strong willed woman, for one. One has to be to have the determination she displayed when chasing after one of the most infamous pirates in the seas,"

"Wait," Ann cuts, eyes wide,"Mom… chased after Roger?"

"Oh yes, and quite determinedly so. And as for Roger, well, she was the only woman who ever caught his heart, his love beyond the seas. Beautiful, strong, apparently he first met her after she tossed out a couple of troublemaking pirates out of the bar she worked in," Whitebeard's smile turned amused when he looked back down at her, with one eyebrows raised, "Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

Ann wanted to comment that if he's implying that the events leading to her joining the crew was similar to how his parents met, then she would've been in love with Thatch instead of Marco. And that's quite a weird thought to have, when the former was more of an annoying older brother.

(What Sabo would've been in her life, if not for his dreams and his following demise)

"It wasn't the most romantic first meeting, sure, but they met," the captain continued in her silence, his tone wistful, "And they fell in love,"

The thought of Gol D. Roger being in love, an emotion so utterly human, was even more alien to her. Of her life she was told what a complete monster he was, so much that the thought of that man falling for the beautiful red haired woman in that photograph seems impossible.

She didn't know what to think about it.

"And you were wrong, Ann. Your mother was never forgotten," Whitebeard sighed, "Roger would never forget about Rouge. The way he looked at her, it was… hmm, what's an appropriate way to describe it?"

Suddenly, Ann was reminded of Cotton's words months ago. She wondered if the same thought was what kept Rouge persistent, if that was why she still choose Roger despite all, "Like she was One Piece itself?"

"If Roger's time had not been so limited, she would've been his life after One Piece," Whitebeard took a deep breath, his voice immensely gentle, yet distant, "As we all know, that's not what happened. It was a risk they both know will happen, that Rouge knows would happen. Still, she choose to be by his side, to spend what little time they had so they can be together. And in turn, Roger wished for the same. I supposed they believe that, despite the circumstances, it was something worth having, even for just a fleeting moment,"

"But she died alone, after… after giving birth to me. She wasn't with Roger,"

Whitebeard nodded, "Alas she didn't. She stayed back in her hometown in hiding, because she found out she was with you," the captain's smile, pained, and yet benevolent, if not without a hint of sorrow, "And if there was anything both Rouge and Roger loved more than each other, it would be the child they made, even if they know they would never have the chance to raise her,"

* * *

"You've been quiet the entire time,"

Marco's voice brought her back from her reverie. Ann blinked, and took a deep breath before shaking her head, "It's nothing, i was just… thinking about some stuff,"

The small clock on the side of Marco's table told her it was past midnight, and she should've returned back to her room a long time ago. Yet she still stood by his side, gazing to the numerous stacks of paperworks she knows he would be forgoing sleep for again, once that he abandons right now to frown worriedly at her. When the frown doesn't go away at her answer, she gave him a reassuring half-smile, which doesn't quite do anything.

With a sigh, Marco placed his quill back into the ink pot and turned in his chair to face her, "I heard you were called by Pops earlier, is something wrong?"

"No, he just wanted to check on my progress with the _Mera-Mera no Mi,_ "

"Well, he doesn't have anything to worry about, you've been incredible. Did you tell him that?"

Ann scoffed good-naturedly, "Pretty sure he's already heard about every single thing i accidentally burn whenever i as much felt irritated at someone. If i can't keep my fire in control soon, Thatch will have to make a special line in the dining area for me or else, i'd burn the people behind me again because the queue was too long,"

With a playful smirk, Marco reached up and pinched her nose, and Ann faked a pained hiss, "For the last time, stop looking for excuses to get to food first. It's always first come first serve, and you know we can't let you be first or else 1600 people will starve,"

"Aww, and here i thought i finally wore you down for that. I even make you drinks every night and all," For emphasis, she reached over for the mug she had placed down next to him when she first arrived, previously fully filled with some herbal beverage, now half-empty. Commander Haruta told her it has the propensity to induce sleepiness, because she feared with the amount of time Marco became sleepless and restless lately, she'll cause him to overdose on the normal sleeping pills. At the very least, it might help him to loosen up with his stress level, though that has yet to be seen.

Marco chuckled, taking the mug from before drinking in a big gulp. From the splash the mug gave when he pulled it back told her there's still some left, albeit in a very small amount, "I would do anything for you, Ann, but i'm afraid some things i just can't help,"

He smiled after saying that, a little teasingly, but Ann couldn't do the same. The blonde must've sensed something was wrong again when he put the mug away and held both of her hands in his, pulling her slightly closer, "What is it?

"Will you really?" her voice was small and a little shaky from the uncertainty filling her chest, and she returned the squeeze of his hand with her own, "Will you really do anything for me, Marco?"

"Anything," Though his confusion was palpable, but the sincerity in his words were just as apparent, Ann hated the blossoming hope and joy that emerged from her uncertainty, briefly pushing her doubts and trepidation away, "I…I care for you, Ann. Probably more than i should,"

The hands holding hers tightened their grip, and before Marco could say something else, she cuts him off, eyes desperately meeting his, "Then if i were to ask you to choose between myself and your responsibility as a commander, as a pirate," she asked, "Would you be able to decide?"

It was when the hands holding hers suddenly become lax and those eyes widened did she know she had made a terrible mistake. Maybe she didn't want to know the answer, after all, "Never mind," the dark haired nurse rushed out, shaking her head. It was ridiculous how upset she feels, and she even started hating herself for uttering the question in the first place. She shouldn't have, not when she know how much he loved this life, "It's just a stupid question,"

But even as she tried to take her hands away, Marco's hold wouldn't budge, keeping her in place. She gazed down at him, the request to let her go in the tip of her tongue when Marco spoke first, and what little tug in her chest turned painful, too painful, "I'm sorry, Ann," he murmured, his blue eyes filled with regret as he met her own shocked grey ones, "But I'm no good for you,"

It felt like all of her breath had been knocked out of her, and all she could do was internally shout and blame herself. Why? Why did she has to ask that? She knows, didn't she? She knows all this time what his answer would be, and she was fine with it. She could live with it, she was fine with pretending.

And yet, it still hurts to hear it.

"I have to go,"

"Wait, Ann!"

The sound of her draping footsteps and Marco's calls for her disrupted the silence in the night. She didn't care, not when her chest felt like it could burst at any moment, when she felt sick from her stomach and her eyes felt so very, very heavy.

She ran and ran, ignoring the confused looks and calls for her name, and kept running as fast as her feet can take her while holding back the tears that threatens to fall.

* * *

It happened all too fast.

The fight by the shore had been brutal, but against the marines who had dared to step on to Whitebeard's protected territory in order to lure and capture the _Yonko_ , Whitebeard Pirates clearly had the upper hand. From the deck, where she was tasked with tending to lighter injuries, Ann continues to watch vigilantly as men bearing Pops' mark continue to push deeper into the town, trying to reach to the second line of defense and hopefully take every single one of the marines out. Pops' laughter had boomed around them, quaking the ground underneath the marines without him having to lift a finger.

It was at that precise moment that she first caught it; the bright glint from somewhere in the midst swarming men, from the very back of the marine's line. A canon of sorts, with dozens upon dozen of cylinders, and above the sound of raging battle, a man dressed in the Vice Admiral's uniform shouted, cackling proudly for the World Goverment's newest weapon, equipped with seastone, followed by the bold claim of taking their captain's head. The canon lit up, its muzzle burning, when there was an ear-splitting whistling sound, and Whitebeard let out a grunt, doubling over in his seat.

Ann saw it, the first trickle of blood running down from the captain's exposed chest and felt time stop when she heard the command to fire and series of explosions was heard, deafening even from the distance. In a heartbeat, she called out the name of the only father she knew. The sickening sound of metal piercing flesh filled her ears repeatedly, too many times.

And suddenly, time froze.

From within blue, yellow and _red_ mist, the majestic flame bird that suddenly appeared out of nowhere lost its fire and fell right in front of Whitebeard, its body shifting to that of a man just right before he landed on the hard floor. There was barely anything recognizable beyond the river of blood, pouring out of numerous bleeding wounds. As the last blue flame dissipated, Ann saw too much red on familiar purple shirt, saw golden tressed bathed in seemingly never ending blood, saw as those blood flows freely on the floor, within the cracks and moving far too quickly out of the too still body.

The battle paused, between friends and foes alike. All Ann could hear was the rush of incessant ringing, and her halted voice reduced to a single choke.

Portgas D. Ann let out a scream, as her world turned ablaze.

* * *

You know what i like? Causing injury to my fav characters.

You know what i like even more? When said character(s) canonically is improbable/highly susceptible to injuries, so you gotta be a bit creative on how you can be trash.

Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

"I look ridiculous in this,"

Which is true, because white completely doesn't suit her and this entire nurse uniform, even down to the seams are white. Not only that, the rest of the ensemble she was simply unfamiliar with; the clip-on hat probably should've been the easiest to figure out, but it kept slipping from the top of her head, and it's the same thing with her stockings. She didn't even know why she had to use stockings and how the garters works, and the heels she was given were uncomfortable.

She's sure she looked like a mess, with none of the lithe elegance seen in the other nurses, but the way the man leaning by the infirmary door looked at her made her believe otherwise for a split second. Sky blue eyes raked up and down her entire body, eyes calculating and maybe even appreciative, "I'd disagree. You look marvelous,"

"You sure you're looking right?" her tone was snippy, but with a wince, she noticed the tremor in the middle of her sentence. His tone was so warm, and his smile even more so, that she can feel her face growing hot. He's an attractive man, that she can tell even when she still regarded everyone on this ship as an enemy, and the fact that he's one of the most kindest ones to her so far didn't help. To distract herself, she tried to adjust her hat, but they slipped one more time and only her quick reflexes managed to catch the damn thing before it fell.

But before she can try to put it back on, a pair of feet entered her periphery, and she looked up to see him standing much closer, "May i?" he raised one hand to her direction, palm upturned right next to the hand holding the treacherous hat. Without hesitation or looking away from his gentle gaze, she handed it to him, taking a deep breath in hope that it'll mask the sound of her skipping heartbeat.

With the hat now in hand, he raised both of his arm, using one to run his fingers through her hair. It was such a calming movement, but she did her best to resist leaning to him, focusing her eyes simply on the enormous emblem etched on his chiseled, exposed chest.

A mixture of emotion flooded her, prominently pride, anxiety, and maybe a little doubt. She's one of the Whitebeard Pirates now, even though she's not quite a pirate. The same crew that was her father's rival, one of the _Yonko_ and the strongest in the seas, whose captain knew of her well kept secret and yet still accept her with open arms. And above that, she's a nurse. Someone whose duty involves healing people and help them recover from injuries. Her, probably the most reckless person she knew in her own life.

Despite all of her best efforts, she still ended up in the seas after all.

A hand left her hair, but not before it ran through the dark tresses once more, "All done," she heard him whisper, and tilted her head up to notice that indeed, her hat didn't slip down again. Her attention on the now fully secured hat was gone, however, once her eyes met his, and when she felt his other hand on the side of her cheek, cradling her face gently, "Portgas D. Ann, full-fledged nurse of the Whitebeard Pirates. Has quite the ring to it, doesn't it?"

That's what she is now, isn't it? That title, ridiculous as it sounds, beats 'Portgas D. Ann, that waitress who'll knock you out with a tankard if you look at her funny' or 'Portgas D. Ann, that demon child who should never have existed'.

A new identity. A new life. A new meaning.

"Well, considering all of the training and reading i had to do these past months, i deserved that, that's for sure," she said instead, looking back down to herself. Right as she moved one of her leg to get a better view, the stocking slid down again, and she groaned, "Think you can fix that one too? I don't even know how to keep them up right and what those garters are for,"

Out of all the possible reaction he could give, she didn't expect a light flush to appear on his cheeks and for him to stutter, "That… i don't think i should help you with,"

"Why not? You don't know how to do it?" It does seems rather complicated, especially with those suspender-like clips. The nurse from earlier did say it's not necessary for her to wear it, but everyone else does, and she's actually a little intrigued about it. She already had the weird suspender thing on under her uniform, still hanging loose underneath her skirt, not quite sure how that thing fits with the dark see through stockings she was given.

When she told him this, he cleared his throat and shook his head, but instead of losing the blush, his face only grows redder, "I, uh, I can just… tell you how to do it. It's not that complicated,"

"Can't you just show me? I don't even know if i had the belt on right,"

"No, no, that's… that would be inappropriate for me to do,"

It's rather weird that he started talking about what's appropriate or not right now, after they kidnapped her against her will, and she had spent several months seeing them fulfilling some pirate stereotypes to a tee. In the end, she shrugged, noting curiously that his face had gone even redder during the few seconds of silence and when she lifted the hem of her skirt up to the point where the clips became visible, "Fine, teach me how to do this. I've never done this before,"

"Y-yeah. Just, move your feet a little so i can get a better look,"

"Marco, you're not even looking at me, how are you supposed to get a better look?"

"I.. I can see just fine, just move a bit closer,"

* * *

 _"Y-you she-devil! Don't come any closer!"_

* * *

Watching the marine flag pathetically sinking along with the rest of the battleship was symbolic of their defeat in the hand of the Whitebeard Pirates, in her opinion.

She must admit, she's starting to understand why even the most bumbling fool on this ship was still feared by the marines and pirates alike. They fought with mighty strength and great coordination, with one division easily overpowering even a fleet and with their captain capable of destroying much more without even moving from his seat. The casualty from their side were merely the canon-crushed railings, which were now fixed with efficiency, and several minor bruises and injuries that she's tending to.

And _him_. What a magnificent display.

"Amazing, ain't he?"

The voice next to her brought her down from her reverie, and she turned to find a large grin on scarred face, "He's usually not that showy, you know. He's more of a 'quick death from above' type of fighter, but today, with all of that gliding and fancy moves, i'm starting to think he's putting on a show for someone," the scarred man wiggled his brow, his pompadour almost bobbing along with that gesture, "And i think i just found out who he's showing off to,"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she brusquely dismiss him, throwing her face away and exaggeratedly reaching over for some extra antiseptic when really, she's trying to hide the fact that her face turns hot.

The cackle the man gave clearly told her he's not fooled, but before he can say something, a new voice interjected, "Thatch, stop bothering the nurses taking care of you. There are others who needed to be looked after as well,"

"I literally just sat down, Marco, Ann's not even finish with cleaning up my cut," she can't see his face, but she knew the auburn haired man next to her still retain his grin, just from his tone alone, "And what others? I'm the only one left. Unless you're here to also get patched up but— Oh, wait a second,"

"Thatch," With her head bowed down, forcing herself to see nothing else but the shallow cut she needs to work on, she missed the reason for that stern tone.

"Fiiine. Sorry, Ann, you're my favorite nurse and all but we hafta make this quick and be rid of my charming presence because obviously you're also _someone else's_ favorite nurse,"

"Is she now? Ah, so it's not Rosemary, or Mocca, or Marjoram, or Olive—"

"H-hey!"

"Or Barley, Or Sakura, Or Sherry—"

"Alright, that was a very long time ago and she's with Fossa now, everyone knows that,"

"Or Anise, Or Roselle, and not to mention… hmm, well, that one doesn't really count, but you did say something about wanting to see him in a nurse outfit so Izou—"

"Ack! I thought you agree to keep that a secret!"

She couldn't stifle her snickers and receive a glare for her efforts, though she was much more interested in the playful and conspiratorial wink she was given from behind that glare. The pompadoured man turned his head between them, eyes squinted and obviously miffed, but his lips twitched none too subtly, clearly amused and even a touch fond.

"Alright, alright, let me just get the hell away from here before i become the third wheel, you immature children,"

* * *

 _"Oh shit! Shit, she— she burned everyone! Get away! Get the fuck away before she gets here!"_

 _"Stop! Please, we surrender! P-please, i don't want to die!"_

* * *

"Why are you out here this late?"

He's startled by her, she can see as much from the jolt on his shoulders, and as he look up, she wasn't oblivious to the ever so subtle way his hand reach up to his face to wipe something away. He didn't even do a good job, because even in the darkness of night and with only some dim lighting, she can still see his red rimmed eyes.

"I…," even his voice was coarse, and no matter how many times he tried to do away with it, it always came back the same. In the end, he sighed, resigned, and asked, "Is Pops still..?"

She pursed her lips, making her way over to his side and leaned back against the walls, sitting right to his opposite, "He should be stable, for now, anyway. All of the nurses are doing rotation to monitor his condition and i just finished my shift,"

It came to a shock for all of them, when in the middle of a calm day, their captain suddenly fell ill. Arrhythmia, as it turns out, a side effect from his new medication perceived nearly too late. It took them hours, nearly the entire day trying to stabilize him again, and the ship has to do an emergency embark in one of the nearest friendly territory. Now, they need to make sure he won't relapse, and that the new medication they got will perform much better.

In other word, it's been a damn long day, and all she wanted to do was go back to her room and crash until mid-day tomorrow. But all thoughts of rest was now gone out of her mind.

With a heavy sigh and barely stifled sob, he bowed his head down again, "He's running out of time, isn't he?"

(It made her heart ache just how small he sounded. Maybe she will never like pirates, but she understood and know intimately well the devastation of loss)

She heard stories from passing, about how he had been the very first crew member, a child taken out of a horrific life to lead the free life of a pirate. For over 20 years, he served under the same man, owing his freedom and life to him, and now his saviour, his _father,_ is dying. Everyone else were listless and anxious, and she knows she was too, but he took it even deeper, lips bruised from hiding his own cries in the darkness, his hands trembling at his own words and his eyes doesn't fit the intelligent and reasonable man he usually was, but that of a scared and lonely child.

Perhaps he took her silence as a confirmation, because he curled into himself again, shoulders quivering. Seeing him like this was painful, when the whole day he still stood tall, taking command like nothing had happened and kept everyone else in check with their concern. This is that dam breaking, she realized, the pillar of strength everyone counted on in these dark moments unable to hold himself up any longer, and need to seclude himself out of sight.

But he does it in front of her, allowing her to see this moment of weakness.

Before she knew it, it was like her body moved on its own when she reach out for him. With the level of gentleness she didn't know she possessed, she tugged on his hand, gaining his attention and tugged again to get him to move. He complied like a weak rag doll, moving to her side and sat down slightly slumped. She can feel his mildly curious eyes watching her as she moved to a kneeling position, before sitting on her folded legs and pulling him down until he can lay his head on her lap, face up and eyes full of confusion.

"Ann…,"

She shushed him, "When he was younger, sometimes Luffy will have trouble sleeping because he had an overactive imagination. He'd have bad dreams, or he'll get really scared or worried about something, so this is what i'll do until he calms down," she whispered softly, alternating between patting his head and carding her fingers through his hair softly, "It's so he knows he's not alone, that someone will watch over him while he sleeps and everything will be alright,"

He didn't say anything, and as she began to hum a tune she once heard back in Foosha, his eyes began to flicker close and his chest rose and lowers evenly. It spoke of his level of exhaustion that it happened only in spans of minutes, and it pained her deeply, so much that she can feel her chest tightened at the sight of a single unshed teardrop that still pooled by the side of his eyes.

With her other hand, she used her thumb to wipe it away, and framed the side of his face with a ghost of a touch. He looked disturbed even in his sleep, too many worried lines and frown marring his features.

She bends down, her humming grows quiet, and she pressed her lips on those lines. He didn't stir at all.

She had only ever heard of it from tales from Makino or bar patrons, or from those little books hidden in Dadan's room. A feeling so different from what she felt for Luffy, for Sabo, for Thatch, Cotton and other nurses and pirates, even different from the one she had for Pops. Similar, yet different. Much heavier, but also much lighter, an emotion so powerful it made her physically feel something, sent a tingle down her spine, a fluttering in her stomach and made her heart skip.

Love. She's in love.

And it was to a pirate.

"Sleep tight, Marco. I'll watch over you too tonight,"

* * *

"Shoot her! Shoot her! Aim the cannon at her— Aaagh!"

"How?! B-but, the cannon was made of seastone! How did, how did a logia manage to—"

"B-b-b-but t-that's… _H-ha-Haoshoku Haki_?!"

"What are you?!"

When Ann look up, finally aware, there was nothing else but a sea of fire around her. The source of the shoutings and anguished cries were from the men in front of her, huddled close around the bodies of their fallen comrades and the now destroyed cannon, clattering pathetically in pieces with myriad of seastone bullets rolling around, unaffected by her flames. The cannon that they had aimed at Moby, that they had used to hurt Pops.

The cannon that tore Marco apart and left him broken.

A wave of power left her, a weird, unfamiliar sensation that left a tingling sensation but somehow caused all of the men to buckle down to their knees, some of them with their eyes rolling backwards and falling down unconscious.

Ann raised one hand, and heard the cowering men scream.

* * *

The entire island was on fire.

Marco almost couldn't believe his eyes. He knew something was wrong the moment he woke up, when he saw that there were a great number of civilians and even some men in marine uniform on board, all of them moving in chaos. The island was on fire, he heard being shouted upon his rushed exit, and people were still running up into Moby, trying to get aware from the rapidly growing flames.

"It's Ann," Thatch finally told him, warily and worriedly looking at the engulfed island, "She went… she went _berserk_ after you fell unconscious. Wiped out the entire front line of the marines before she worked even deeper, burning everything around her. We tried to snap her out of it, but we can't get close to her or risk being burned, and soon everything was on fire. We need to evacuate the townspeople and some of the marines who helped out,"

His heart fell to his stomach the moment he heard and realized he hadn't seen her at all on board.

She's still in the island.

Before he can move, however, a hand clasped his shoulder, holding him back. The 4th division commander's voice was pained, "Don't, i know you wanted to chase after her, but you can't. The fire is much too strong, it'll soon destroy the entire island," at his silence, he continued, placing a hand on his shoulder, "She's a logia, Marco, the fire can't harm her. But you've only healed from having over 10 seastone bullets pumped to your body, you're in no condition to go back there. You need to stay here and give us orders,"

He's right, of course. It made sense. He had a responsibility, he needs to help Pops keep things in orders, he has his duties to attend to during this emergency.

But a crash sounded just by the shore, the first building to crash down by unrelenting fire.

And then he heard it, explosion, and his heart sank.

"Marco, no!"

It wasn't just Thatch calling for him. He could hear other commanders and crew members frantically shouting his name, telling him to go back, that it's too dangerous. He could even hear Pops, his own captain's bellow, shaking the earth itself, _commanding_ him to stay.

But he can't.

 _If i were to ask you to choose between myself and your responsibility as a commander, as a pirate, will you be able to decide?_

He wished he could turn back time to that night, give her a different answer.

Because it wasn't until this moment, as he flies into the unbearable heat, ignoring the burn that consumed him faster than his flames can heal did he realize what his real answer should've been.

* * *

Ann felt tired. Drained. Lethargic. Her entire body was still on fire, burning everything she made contact with, and they won't die down, no matter how much she tried.

She had chased after the last of the marines into some sort of a makeshift fort, but on her way out, the wooden structure had given out, blocking her exit. Behind her, she can hear even more crash, completely burying the burned remnants of bodies she had left behind, but also trapping her even further. She's pretty sure by now that the ship has left, trying to save themselves from the fire, so she'd doubt any help will be coming. Surrounded by her own flames, flames she no longer has control over, Ann felt weak. No matter how hard she tried, they won't die down, and soon the whole building is going to collapse with her in it.

But even with that revelation, she couldn't have it in her to move.

She's just too tired.

When the first tear fell - and within seconds quickly evaporated from the extreme heat - she cursed herself. How pathetic. Is this really how things will end for her? Being crushed by a burning building? What will Luffy say? What will Gramps say? After all the threats she made to chase him away, all the talk about dropping a building on him if he won't stop hounding Luffy and herself to not be pirates, he'll laugh himself to death and meet her in the afterlife to laugh some more. Luffy will probably ended up making buildings his mortal enemy and proceed to sleep only in ships or jungles, because that's the kind of person he is.

Maybe it won't be so bad. Her death was long overdue anyway. 20 years of it.

And Marco will be there.

Even through her sobs, she can't help laughing a little. What a day full of irony. First, the man who can't be harmed died from being repeatedly harmed, a broken bird, splattered on Moby Dick's deck. Died to protect his captain, the man whose demise he always feared, but at least, he doesn't have to be afraid anymore, doesn't have to feel so burdened all the time.

And now her, a fire logia is going to die in fire.

Together in death.

But they aren't even together.

The thought of it was somber, even more than her inevitable death in this place. Maybe… maybe if she had put aside her reservations, then even for a moment, she could've have him. She wouldn't have to look at that bleeding, dead body thinking, _regretting_ all of the missed chances. Maybe if she had told him what she wanted all those nights ago instead of that dumb question, instead of making him chose, then her last memory of him won't be wishing that she could talk to him again and wishing she had the courage to stop avoiding him for the last few days.

At least her parents had been happy in their short time together.

She can't even have that with Marco.

Another crash sounded behind her, even closer and in a larger magnitude. The entire structure is coming down, she can hear from the incessant cracking, and she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and braced herself.

"Ann!"

Something broke nearby.

"Ann! Where are you?!"

Ann's eyes snapped open. But… that can't be.

"Marco?" she tried to find where exactly the voice came from, but as soon as she moved, the wooden floor beneath her suddenly gave away, letting out a crash and creating a hole that would've caused her to fall if she had been too slow to move away. Ann let out a yelp and crawled backward, heart thumping at the close call, and she felt her heart sank when she heard another resounding crack only to realize that it didn't come from anywhere near her.

Dropping down from the now broken rooftop like a fallen angel, blue in the sea of red was indeed Marco, panting and eyes wild, scanning around the desolate room. He paused briefly on the sight of the dead marines, and looked painfully relieved at the broken cannon, but none of that amount to the moment his eyes met hers, "Ann!" he called out again, quickly taking a step to her when the floor underneath his foot gave out as well, nearly making him stumble, "Ann, you have to stop this! This entire place will come down soon! Call off the fire!"

"I can't!" she shouted back, spine tensing when she can hear and felt the tremor from the floor beneath her. It's not going to last, "I've tried but they won't die down!"

Marco looked distressed, and with a single flap he went airborne again, gliding towards her.

"Don't come any closer!" Ann warned him, stopping him on his tracks, "I told you, i can't stop the fire. You'll get burned!"

"I need to get you out of here," he replied, still flying closely and over the obstacles that had trapped her. He perched on a fallen pillar, transforming one of his wings back into human arms and reach out for her, "Come on, Ann, take my hand. I'll get us out of here,"

She wanted to reach out, but she looked down at her burning hands, fire still exuding out of her every pores, and shook her head, "I can't. I'll burn you,"

"I can't be hurt,"

"Yes, you can,"

Marco's hand faltered, and she knows her pain was visible in her words. It didn't matter if the instrument that wounded him was now destroyed, he's not infallible, and she refused to be another cause for his injuries.

Around them, the building started to collapse, slowly and punishingly loud, with every corners and walls crying out as they started to give away. The ground vibrated as rubbles began to fall from what's left of the roof, and Ann's stomach sank when she felt the floor beneath her creak even more, groaning under her weight and the damage encroaching their very foundations. She didn't even have time to scream when the floor finally gave away, and her stomach lurched as she lose against gravity.

"Ann!"

Suddenly, she stopped falling, and instead, she started _flying._

"Hold on tight!" the bird she had fallen on top of commanded, as it manouvered through the falling rocks and angry fire around them. Ann stared, hands already taking purchase on the blue flaming feathers and she laid down to wrapped her arms around the Phoenix's long neck, holding on like her life depended on it.

Before she knew it, she was out of the marine's fort, mere seconds before the entire place burned down and was reduced to a heap of rubbles. The entire city outside of the fort was still burning tall and bright, with many other homes and structures already suffering the same fate as the one she managed to escape out of. The Phoenix stopped in the middle of the plaza, where even the fountain had stopped working, the statue on the top turning ashen black and what clear water that was supposed to flow in it evaporating to nothingness.

The bird she held on top was no longer a bird, but a man a head taller than her, who quickly framed her face with both of his arms, eyes darting all over her, before pulling her into an embrace, "Fuck, thank goodness," she heard him murmur to the crown of her head, the arms around her tightening their grip. His fire and hers mingled, dancing around and inside each other, cancelling one another, "What were you thinking? When i was told that you… Fuck, fuck, Ann, i'm so glad,"

"You're alive," was all she could say, realization dawning and adrenaline finally out of her entire system, causing her knees to feel like jelly. To avoid falling, she leaned on to Marco, wrapping both of her arms around his neck loosely, "You came for me,"

"Of course i will. I'll always come to you," the blonde pulled away just slightly, enough for her to look at his face, to look at the hard conviction and assurance in his eyes, as opposed to his soft voice, just above a whisper for her, "It's always going to be you, above all else,"

And just like that, he leaned down, and she met him halfway, both all too eager, both with too munch longing and the need for each other, letting all reservations and their worries go.

The moment their lips met, everything dissolved from Ann's mind. The roar of her fire thrummed in her ear as loud as her rushing blood, and within the heat on her skin, the cold breeze of Marco's own began to reach for her, enveloping her. She let his arms pull her close, the same way she held on to him, never wanting to let go. There's no longer concern for the world around them, the destruction, nothing mattered as her lips moved against his and felt nothing but solace.

Around them, long forgotten, the roar of flames the colour of dusk and dawn began to dwindle into nothingness, leaving only two so close silhouette it became one in the midst of burned ashes.

-END-

* * *

I don't even know how to type haoshoku haki. Also, i kept typing 'cannon' as 'canon', and like, well yeah, 'canon' did kind of rip him apart too. Just in a more mental and metaphorical way. Probably a lot more painful too.

Thanks for reading!


End file.
